Adjustable operating cylinder for a gravity casting machine

ABSTRACT

The device provides an adjustment for different thicknesses and sizes of molds in a semi-automatic gravity casting machine. In this machine a pair of rectangular plates are mounted on edge with apposed faces. One plate is fixed and the other plate is movable. One half of a mold is mounted on each plate face. A pneumatic cylinder is mounted so that its piston rod is coupled to the movable plate. To ensure proper stroking distance of the piston rod and uniform pressure on the center of the mold, the mounting of the cylinder is adjustable. The platform holding the cylinder is provided with a horizontal adjustment toward or away from the movable plate. The platform is also vertically adjustable to position the piston rod behind the center of the mold. This allows the thrust to be directed to the center of the mold and adjusts for different thicknesses of the mold.

United States Patent 1191 Saccoccio Feb. 4, 1975 1 ADJUSTABLE OPERATING CYLINDER FOR A GRAVITY CASTING MACHINE Primary ExaminerFrancis S. Husar Assistant Examiner-John S. Brown Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Max Schwartz [76} Inventor: Louis Saccoceio, 25 St. Marys Dr.,

Cranston, RI. 02903 [22] Filed: Sept. 26, I973 [57] ABSTRACT PP'- NOJ 4001948 The device provides an adjustment for different thicknesses and sizes of molds in a semi-automatic gravity 52 us. c1. 249/137 249/161 Sling machinemachine a of rectangular 51 161. CI B ilb 11/66 P1tes are mounted edge with aPP086d facesone [58] Field of Search I H 164/337 249/68 137 plate is fixed and the other plate is movablev One half 249/80 [61 45 ofa mold is mounted on each plate face. A pneumatic cylinder is mounted so that its piston rod is coupled to [56] References cued the movable plate. To ensure proper stroking distance of the piston rod and uniform pressure on the center UNITED STATES PATENTS of the mold, the mounting of the cylinder is adjustl1803'299 4/193 Fahlma" 249/137 X able. The platform holding the cylinder is provided 212161060 9/1940 vmmbel 249/68 X with a horizontal adjustment toward or away from the 2,711,567 6/1955 Knapp 249/161 X bl I t Th 1 If l H st 3,161,918 12/1964 Zearbaugh 1. 249/68 mova i 8 P a 3 765 640 10/1973 Saccoccio 249/161 X able to positlon the piston rod behind the center of the mold. This allows the thrust to be directed to the cen- FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS ter of the mold and adjusts for different thicknesses of 422,956 l/l942 Germany [64/343 the mold. l,l52,056 5/l969 Great Britain 1. 164/343 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures I I I W] 48-e/ 48 E PATENTED FEB 4 m5 SHEET 10F 2 ADJUSTABLE OPERATING CYLINDER FOR A GRAVITY CASTING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Brass molds of the gravity type are usually operated by hand. The two mold parts are locked together and held by a handle in one hand while the molten metal is poured with a ladle with the other hand. The mold handle is used to lift and tilt the mold to dump the excess metal from the gate. In my application entitled Semiautomatic Dynamically Balanced Gravity Casting Machine," Ser. No. 275,247, filed July 26,1972, now US. Pat. No. 3,765,640, I disclosed a machine for handling this type of mold without effort. This machine is provided with plates of a fixed size on which the molds are mounted. A fixed operating cylinder moves one of the plates to open and close the mold. Since the molds vary greatly in size and thickness, the mold pressure supplied by the machine tends to be uneven. Thin molds tend to lengthen the stroke of the piston rod and thick molds tend to shorten it. The pressure applied by the cylinder is thus uneven. Furthermore, since the molds vary in size, the piston rod is rarely directed to the center of the mold to equalize the pressure on themold.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a semi-automatic gravity casting machine in which the mold operating mechanism is adjustable for different thicknesses and sizes of molds to provide a uniform mold pressure.

Essentially, the machine provides a dynamically balanced pivotally mounted base on which a pair of water cooled plates are mounted in apposed relation to each other. One plate is fixed and the other plate is horizontally movable toward and away from the fixed plate. The mold parts are mounted one on each plate facing each other. A pneumatic cylinder and piston is used to operate the movable plate. A control valve for the cylinder is provided with an operating handle which is used to open and close the molds and to tilt the machine to dump the excess molten metal from the gate. The present invention ensures a constant even centralized pressure on the mold regardless of its thickness, size, or position on the mold plates. The operating cylinder is mounted on a horizontal plate having spaced parallel slots at right angles to the mold plate. This permits adjustment of the cylinder toward or away from the movable mold plate to compensate for different thicknesses of molds. The horizontal supporting plate is mounted on a vertical plate which in turn is vertically adjustable on a fixed vertical plate mounted on the base. The end of the piston is coupled to the movable plate in a vertically adjustable position. This provides both vertical and horizontal adjustments for the operating cylinder and piston to compensate for variations in the mold and mold mounting.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawing;

FIG. I is a front elevation of a mold machine embodying my present invention with the mold in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation showing the cylinder adjusted to a lowered position;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the pneumatic cylinder mounting taken from the right side of the fixed plate, FIG. I, the supporting block being removed;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing the adjustable coupling between the piston and the movable plate;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the coupling shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the pneumatic cylinder mounting taken from the left side of the fixed plate, FIG. I; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view ofthe cylinder supporting plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring more in detail to the drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates the basic mold machine shown in my application Ser. No. 275,247, now Pat. No. 3,765,640 hereinabove referred to. A suitable support is provided spaced vertical posts I0. Mounted on each post 10 is a bearing support 12 having a bearing 14 mounted thereon. The machine is mounted on a rectangular base I6 having a vertical portion 18 at each end. A pivot pin 20 extends from each portion 18 into a bearing 14 to pivotally support the base I6.

0n the right side of the base 16, FIG. 1, a vertical plate 22 is mounted in a fixed position transversely of the base 16 and is braced by plates 24 at right angles thereto. One portion 26 of the mold is mounted on the inner face of the fixed plate 22. Cooling is provided by circulating cool water through passageways in the plate 22 by way of the pipes 28. The plate 22 is provided with four conventional guide pins 30, one at each corner, extending at right angles from the plate toward the left, FIG. 1. A plate 32 is slidably mounted on the guide pins 30 for movement toward and away from the plate 22. The plate 32 is also water cooled through the pipes 34 in the same manner as the plate 22. The other part 36 of the mold is mounted on the plate 32, the pouring gate 38 forming between the mold parts 26 and 36 in the closed position shown in FIG. 1.

At the left of the base [6, FIG. I, a vertical supporting plate 40 is rigidly braced by plates 42 similar to the plates 24 on the right. The upper central portion of the fixed plate 40 is provided with a vertically elongated rectangular opening 44. A rectangular plate 46 is provided with a vertical elongated slot 48 adjacent each side edge. Four bolts 50, two on each side, adjustably hold the plate 46 on the plate 40, the bolts 50 being mounted on the plate 40 below the opening 44, FIG. 6. This permits a vertical adjustment of the plate 46 relative to the plate 40.

A rectangular plate 52 is horizontally mounted on the top edge of the vertically adjustable plate 46. The plate 52 extends through the opening 44 and is accurately held at right angles to the plate 46 by a rectangular supporting block 54 under the plate 52 on the right of the plate 46, FIG. I. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the plate 52 is provided with spaced parallel slots 56 adjacent each end. The pneumatic cylinder 58 is mounted on the plate 52 by the bolts 60 passing through the slots 56.

The cylinder 58 is at right angles to the movable plate 32 and its operating piston 62 extends to and is coupled with the plate 32 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A pair of spaced strips 64 are mounted in spaced parallel vertical position on the plate 32. A second pair of wider strips 66 are bolted to the strips 64 by the bolts 68. The strips 64 and 66 define a T-shaped passageway. Mounted at the outer end of the piston 62 is a T-shaped head which fits into the passageway. When the bolts 68 are loosened. the Tshaped head 70 can be moved vertically along the passageway for adjustment and locked into place by again tightening the bolts 68.

As described in my copending application hereinabove referred to, the cylinder is controlled by a valve 72 having line connections 74 to the cylinder 58. The valve is operated by a handle 76 which also serves to pivot the dynamically balanced machine to dump the excess metal from the mold.

The adjustments are now obvious. With the machine assembled as shown in FIG. 1, the piston travel is designed to apply a maximum pressure on the plate 32 to close the molds. If a thinner mold is mounted in the plates 26 and 36, the piston would have to extend itself and would probably lose some power. Accordingly, the bolts 60 are loosened and the cylinder 58 is moved to the right toward the plate 32 a sufficient distance to compensate for the thinness of the mold. If the mold is thicker, the cylinder is moved to the left, away from the plate 32. thus the maximum efficient stroke of the piston is maintained regardless of the variations in the mold thickness.

It is also essential that the pressure be evenly applied throughout the mold. This means that the piston should apply the cylinder pressure in the center of the mold regardless of variations in the size of the mold. The vertical adjustment takes care of this. When the item is small and the mold is small, it would be mounted adjacent the top of the plates 22 and 32, see FIG. 1. In this position the plate 46 has been adjusted upwardly by means of the bolts 50 to slide the cylinder upward in the opening 44. The piston now extends into the center of the mold, the adjustment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 allowing the movement vertically. lfthe mold is large and extends downwardly, the cylinder can be moved down into the position shown in FIG. 2.

With the above construction, it is thus possible to maintain a uniform mold pressure which will not vary with the changes in the size or thickness of the mold. The effectiveness of the original machine is not disturbed and the additional construction is easy and economical to manufacture and mount on the machine. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art.

I claim:

I. In a mold machine having a pivotally suspended base, a fixed plate mounted on said base, a movable plate on said base slidable toward and away from said fixed plate, a mold having one part mounted on said fixed plate and the other part mounted on said movable plate, and an adjustably mounted pneumatic cylinder having a piston coupled to said movable plate for moving said movable plate toward and away from said fixed plate, said cylinder mounting comprising a vertically mounted fixed plate, said fixed plate having a rectangular opening, an adjustable plate mounted on said fixed plate for vertical adjustment thereon, and a horizontal plate mounted on top of the adjustable plate and extending through said opening for supporting said cylinder.

2. In a mold machine as in claim 1, wherein said fixed mounting plate is provided with spaced bolts, said adjustable plate is provided with spaced parallel slots, said bolts extending through said slots to provide a vertical adjustment of said adjustable plate.

3. In a mold machine as in claim 1, wherein said horizontal plate is provided with spaced parallel slots, said cylinder being bolted to said plate through said slots, whereby the position of said cylinder on said horizontal plate is adjustable.

4. In a mold machine as in claim 2, wherein said horizontal plate is provided with spaced parallel slots, said cylinder being bolted to said plate through said slots, whereby the position of said cylinder on said horizontal plate is adjustable. 

1. In a mold machine having a pivotally suspended base, a fixed plate mounted on said base, a movable plate on said base slidable toward and away from said fixed plate, a mold having one part mounted on said fixed plate and the other part mounted on said movable plate, and an adjustably mounted pneumatic cylinder having a piston coupled to said movable plate for moving said movable plate toward and away from said fixed plate, said cylinder mounting comprising a vertically mounted fixed plate, said fixed plate having a rectangular opening, an adjustable plate mounted on said fixed plate for vertical adjustment thereon, and a horizontal plate mounted on top of the adjustable plate and extending through said opening for supporting said cylinder.
 2. In a mold machine as in claim 1, wherein said fixed mounting plate is provided with spaced bolts, said adjustable plate is provided with spaced parallel slots, said bolts extending through said slots to provide a vertical adjustment of said adjustable plate.
 3. In a mold machine as in claim 1, wherein said horizontal plate is provided with spaced parallel slots, said cylinder being bolted to said plate through said slots, whereby the position of said cylinder on said horizontal plate is adjustable.
 4. In a mold machine as in claim 2, wherein said horizontal plate is provided with spaced parallel slots, said cylinder being bolted to said plate through said slots, whereby the position of said cylinder on said horizontal plate is adjustable. 